Curtido is a popular condiment-cum-salad in El Salvador. It is very versatile and can be served with many raw or cooked vegan and non-vegan dishes. The quick and easy version is made with lime juice and vinegar. It can be consumed the same day, but to enhance the nutritional value, it can be cultured just like sauerkraut. The process is worth the trouble because the result is quite spectacular.
In this particular recipe I used white cabbage, but you can use red cabbage or mix red and white in the proportions of your choice. Same with onions. I used red one, you can use white or yellow onion. Some recipes use fresh cilantro. I prefer to add chopped fresh cilantro to the ready curtido just short before serving.
Dried Mexican oregano makes a difference. The flavor is very intense and it gives the curtido a very special note. If you cannot find Mexican oregano use the Greek or Italian one. You may need to add a little more. Also, add more if you are using fresh herbs.
You will need glass jars, fermentation weights and a wooden sauerkraut pounder or a large wooden spoon. Remember to keep things very clean. You may want to sterilize all the utensils, the jars and the weights to prevent contamination.
Depending on how many jars you are using, save 3-4 outer cabbage leaves before you start shredding the cabbage. You will need them at the end. I prefer to use smaller Weck jars for this project. Also, I slice my cabbage into slightly thicker slices to achieve similar crunchiness to that that normally comes with raw cabbage slaw. Naturally, the fermentation process softens the cabbage considerably, but relatively short fermentation time and a thicker cabbage cut will produce the desired crunchiness, if this is what you want.
Note: To make sure that your lacto-fermented curtido is a success, use 2% salt by the weight of your vegetable. Your ferment might spoil if you are using less. Also, using much too much will stop the fermentation process. For each pound of vegetable you will need about 9 grams of salt - a little more than 0.3 oz or 2 tsp. Use kitchen scale to determine the proper proportion.
Ingredients:
- 1 medium large head of cabbage, thinly sliced/shredded
- 3-4 large carrots, grated
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2-3 garlic clove, minced
- 2-3 jalapeño peppers, sliced (remove the seeds if you cannot tolerate the spiciness)
- juice and zest of 1 organic lime
- 1-2 Tbsp dried Mexican oregano
- pickling salt
Method:
- In a large bowl combine all ingredients adding the right amount of salt.
- With clean hands massage the the vegetable until they release water and a nice brine forms up. (You may want to wear disposable food safe gloves to protect your hands.) The longer you massage, the smaller the volume of vegetable and the more brine in the bowl. The vegetable volume should shrink to about 2/3 or preferably 1/2.
- Transfer the softened vegetable with the brine to prepared jars and press down using wooden pounder or a spoon. Press tightly until there are no more air bubbles and the brine shows up. The brine should completely cover the vegetables.
- Fold up the cabbage leaf and press it down to cover the vegetable. Use the pounder to press everything down. Add the glass weight to make sure that everything stays submerged under the brine. Clean the rim of the jar with a clean kitchen towel and close the jar with the lid. Repeat the process till all your jars are filled.
- Once the jars are filled, place them on a kitchen counter away from direct sun and leave to ferment for one to two weeks. The warmer the kitchen the sooner your fermented curtido is ready to eat.
- Once your curtido fermented to your satisfaction, remove the glass weights and place the jars in the fridge. Enjoy in good company as a condiment or side salad!
Tip: You may want to divide your batch between a few smaller jars and allow one to ferment for three to four weeks. The result is quite amazing. It tastes very much like a spicy, fragrant sauerkraut.
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2024